The Method to Spooky's Madness
by Jedi Alice
Summary: Nyxie Ross was just a a kid when she ventured into the mansion on the mountian, a brave kid full of confidence. She quickly finds the mansion to be full of monsters that follow a pattern, and to survive, she must discover the method to Spooky's madness... or die trying.
1. Chapter 1

Hi. My name is Nyxie Ross. For as long as I can remember, I've always wondered about the mansion that sits derilict atop the mountain, casting a dark shadow on my town below. Not even the oldest of the elders can recall a time before its existence. There are rumors that whoever goes up there never comes back. But I'm going to change that. I'm going to go up to the mansion on the mountain, explore it to my heart's content, and return alive and in one piece to tell the tale.

My friends, my neighbors, every last one of them, laughed at me when I told them my plan. They said I was crazy. An idiot. An overly curious moron with a death-wish. I'm going to prove them all wrong.

As I left home to begin my journey, a crowd of the townsfolk began to follow me. My closest friend, Sally McGuffler, jogged up to me, looking worried. "Hey, Nyxie, you're not serious about going up to that old place, are you?" she asked, her green eyes full of concern.

Valid question, I guess. "Of course I am," I replied. "You know me, Sally. I'm not the kind of girl to change my mind once it's made up."

Sally sighed in slight annoyance as the wind tugged at her platinum-blond ponytail. "I know, but... a lot of people have gone missing in that place. You're my best friend. I don't want you to go missing too.'

"I won't." I said with full certainty, the kind of certainty only the young and hopeful have. "I've got enough food for a week. I doubt it'll take me that long."

"Nyxie..."

"Sally, don't worry about me," I said, starting to feel annoyed. "I understand why you're worried about me, but I'll be fine. Just because a bunch of other people went up there and were never seen again doesn't mean I'll never bee seen again either. I'm doing this, whether you support it or not." And with that, I turned away from her. I was at the edge of town now, the mountain path before me wrapping around that massive land-mass like a snake. I glanced back at her one last time, my purple eyes locking with hers. "See ya in a week, Sally," I said, then put one foot in front of the other and crossed the town border.

I was five steps out of town when the first heckler spoke up. "You'll never get out of there alive, ya crazy idiot!" That was Jimmy, one of the bullies in school.

"Might as well get started on your tombstone, not that there'll be a body to bury or a grave to mark." That was Old Man McGraddy, the town nay-sayer.

"Go home, kid!" I didn't know that voice. "While you still have the chance!"

I didn't listen. I kept my eyes on the mansion, kept my chin up and kept walking. I'd show them. I'd show them all!

* * *

It took a few hours to get all the way up there on foot, but being young and healthy helped a lot. Finally, I'd reached the decrepit mansion. Straightening my back and bracing myself for whatever lay beyond the threshold, I threw wide the front door and strolled in like I owned the place.

I found myself in a large, spacious foyer, pretty much what I expected. When the door closed behind me, I noticed a shadow hovering over the door on the opposite wall. "Hello," a girl's voice said. "I am Spooky." A ghostly little girl about my age appeared. "And this is my home. Can you, humble player, make it through 1,000 rooms? Can you find, what lies at the end?" She asked. "Or is there even an end? Cuz I don't really know. Anyway, just... just go." And with that she floated through the ceiling.

I stood there for a second after she vanished. Okay, so the place was obviously haunted. 1,000 rooms? Ha, I could do that in a heartbeat. While a small voice of caution in my head told me this was probably a bad idea, I didn't care. I was taking Spooky's challenge. I'd make it through the 1,000 rooms. I'd find what lies at the end. And I'd come home to tell the tale.

I boldly crossed the room and opened the door, plunging into the unknown. Now... my journey truly began.

There wasn't much to the first room, if it could be called that. It was more like a hallway. Same with the second one, and the third. The fourth was actually a room, with a crate and a table with a single candle and a red-and-gold rug on the floor. I kept going, counting the rooms in my head. Room 6 was purple. Why it was purple, I had no idea. Seven was just a normal little hallway. Room 8 was an actual room with a table and a creepy-looking painting on the wall. 9 just had the same painting. Ten broke off in two directions. Trusting a gut instinct, I went to the left, where the door was visible. Room 11 looked the same, but after I walked past the first door, a little blue cardboard ghost popped out from the wall, startling me with the sudden loud noise it made. "Huh. Well that happened." I said, and continued through another door.

It continued on like this, going through rooms, hallways, and strange chambers that seemed to be completely randomized. Nothing really terrifying, but I could feel a strange sense of foreboding. It was in room 25 that I found the first note:

_"At first I thought this place just seemed cute,_

_But I've been here for days now..._

_I'm feeling quite parched now, and_

_I keep getting this feeling like I am_

_being watched by something..._

_This is not romantic at all..."_

Why would it be romantic? I wondered. Though that part about having been there for days gave me a moment's pause. And being watched? Something was up. And I was gonna find out what. With that I took off again, checking for notes as I went. More rooms, and more of those cardboard jumpscares popping out randomly. The whole place gave off an eerie, menacing feeling, and now and again I'd hear sounds that let me know I wasn't alone. By now I'd not yet done 35 rooms, and my silvery hair (dyed that color) was standing on end.

It was in room 40 that I found the second note:

_"I know something is following me._

_But I feel like I am prancing through_

_The same rooms over and over..._

_Hopefully leaving notes as breadcrumbs_

_Will prove I am making some progress and_

_Moving toward some destination._

_I just hope I don't run out of ink._

_I am dreadfully thirsty..."_

"I hope he doesn't try to drink the ink." I said to myself, before continuing on. He was right about one thing: there was definitely something following me. The sense of dread was getting ever-stronger. Every sudden loud noise had me sprinting at full tilt, to the point I was running on all fours like an animal. I was jumpscared by two more cardboard cutouts and their ridiculously loud noises before I reached... and elevator? And elevator was room 50? There was a cute poster of a cat in a box on one wall, and beneath that, a table. And on said table was the third note:

_"Ink..._

_Not quite quenching my thirst._

_Taste is terrible. Stains are terrible._

_I don't think drinking it was_

_A very romantic idea."_

"No, just a very stupid idea." I said to nobody in particular. I reached into my backpack and took a couple sips of the water I'd brought with me, then checked my watch. I'd been here maybe 7 minutes. How had this guy been here for days, run out of water, and had to resort to drinking ink? I shook my head and set down the note.

Across from me was another table with a purple cross on it. I touched it, and for some reason I got the feeling that if anything seriously bad happened, I'd end up here again. I was confused by that, but I couldn't afford to ponder on it right now. I walked over to the one button on the wall, labeled "DOWN" and pressed it. With a rumbling, the elevator descended through a very thick layer of dirt and/or rock until a new door was reached. Time to press on...

It seemed I'd reached a dungeon level, as rooms 51-53 were filled with cells, sparsely furnished with chairs or tables. I almost screamed when I reached room 54. There was a twisting path over a dark abyss. One wrong step, and I'd look like a girl-sized splat on the ground... if anybody ever found me. I cautiously proceeded, looking back on occasion... okay, constantly, to make sure I wasn't being followed, but it was hard to tell because it was so dark. I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached the door, and thanked whatever merciful deity was watching over me that the next room was not another dark abyss. I pressed onward, quickly reaching room 60. It was larger than many of the rooms I'd been in, and it gave me a very ominous feeling. In the middle of it was some slippery-looking greenish ooze, and I made a point ot avoid slipping in it. On a table sat another note. I hoped it was from the same weirdo who kept going on about romance or some saner weirdo, but the red ink... if it was ink, told me it probably wasn't:

_"Spouting, Splashing, Soaking,_

_Innards, Ingest, Invoking,_

_Nailing, Never, stops the Choking."_

"...Creepy..." I said, when the sound of choked words filled my ears. I couldn't understand it, but when I looked back to the door I'd come though, I saw this... _thing,_ ambling toward me... _MENACINGLY! _"HOLY SHIT!" I blurted, bolting for the nearest door. I hoped to flee from it as quickly as possible, but I soon found there were puddles of the ooze in every hallway, clearly intended to trip me up. More often than not the halls were way too narrow to go around them, so I had to move painfully slowly to avoid taking a spill. I ran, and crept, and ran, until at last I escaped the thing. I was at room 76 now, not yet a tenth done with my quest yet. I had a feeling I'd run into more monsters the further I went, so I knew I'd have to be careful.

The "romantic" was an idiot. This place was not cute.

This was a Jumpscare Mansion.

I knew I couldn't go back the way I came, so I pressed onward, and not two rooms later, I found this... machine thing in room 78. I approached it cautiously. Maybe it could shed some light on what was happening here?

After accessing the "specimen database", I learned the cardboard cutouts were referred to as "Specimen 1", classified as docile, had only caused 4 fatalities (gee, I wonder why?), and were considered ineffective against healthy subjects.

Next, I learned the thing I had just escaped from was called "Specimen 2", classified as active, had caused 137 fatalities by physical tearing, and was deemed effective against slow, weak subjects. I thanked my lucky stars I was neither.

This seemed like a good opportunity to inform myself about what else i was up against, so I read up on Specimen 3, an arachnid-like creep that was both active and in testing, had caused 43 fatalities, and was considered adequately effective to average subjects. Specimen 4 looked like one of those spooky Japanese ghosts you see in movies like Grudge or The Ring. She was apparently active, had cause 83 deaths, and was considered effective, but not more so than previous specimens. #5 seemed to be some kind of super-deadly creature that messed with people's minds, but when I tried to access information on #6, it just gave me the error screen.

I glanced at my watch. I'd been in this place for a total of 13 minutes, I'd been startled by the cardboard jumpscares, and nearly attacked by specimen 2 in that amount of time. Surely, there had to be some kind of method to the madness in this place. And it would only be a matter of time until I figured it out.

Steeling myself for what lay ahead, I pressed on, taking the door to my right. I hurried along, trying not to look too closely at the creepy things I came across and navigating another abyss room, going faster every time I heard a sudden loud noise like the slam of a door. As I got closer to room 100, I heard the sound of Specimen 2 again, and immediately bolted. It wasn't super easy to dodge the ooze on the ground, but somehow I made it to room 100 alive and in one piece. It was another elevator.

This one had a cup of coffee on its poster, and another note from the Romantic:

_"I found something today  
_

_To satisfy my unromantic thirst._

_I awoke today from a brief faint,_

_And found before me a bottle of  
Red wine!_

_I am not certain what brand or year,  
_

_For there is no label, all I_

_Gather is that it tastes strongly_

_Metallic."_

"... I'm pretty sure that wasn't wine." I said after a pause. "Note to self: never drink unknown red liquids from unlabeled bottles in haunted mansions." I saw there was another cross on the table on the other side of the elevator and quickly touched it, feeling the strangely reassuring sense that I would return here if anything bad happened. I pressed the button on the elevator and continued downward. It was time to figure out the method of Spooky's madness.


	2. Chapter 2 Why Did I Do This?

Upon leaving the elevator, I found myself in a completely new area. That was to be expected, but the change was interesting. It looked dirty down here, filthy, really. I quickly began to sprint through the rooms, almost missing the note one of the cardboard jumpscares had. I backtracked to read it. it was from the Romantic, and it was short:

_"I don't think that was wine..."_

"Told you." I said, before continuing on my way. The next room I found was brightly lit, almost blinding after the rooms I'd been in previously. I stepped though one archway and heard a pleasant _ding!_ I walked though the one to the left and heard an unpleasant error sound. I quickly realized it was a puzzle room. after much left-ing and right-ing, I finally worked out the sequence: Forward, forward, forward, left. A door appeared in the wall instead of the perpetual loop, and I went through. The next room was so run down it had moss on the floor. It also had another note from the Romantic:

_"I don't know how much longer  
I can go on..._

_I haven't seen any of my  
Previous notes, so that means  
Either I am getting somewhere  
Or someone is taking them."_

"Could be either or." I said with a glance at my watch, I saw I'd only been running for about 18 minutes. Maybe this guy just had rotten luck dealing with monster. I kept running, and more cardboard jumpscares kept popping out at me. I was now punching every one I encountered because FUCK YOU LITTLE JERKS! One almost kept me from seeing the table in the corner of room 109, and the note on it. It was from the Romantic again:

_"I think this is my last note.  
I'm going to die having never  
found my escape, but really that's  
not true. This place was like my  
escape. My escape from everything  
else. In the end my death is kind of  
romantic."_

"No, not it's not." I replied to the empty air. An idea came to me. Perhaps I should start leaving notes?

Thankfully I had a ballpoint pen and some sheets of paper with me. I took them out and wrote my first note:

_"To whoever finds this:_

_You probably know by know that this is  
not some funhouse unless you have a  
Twisted sense of fun. I'm pretty sure the  
last person who came this way before me  
is long-dead, but for now, I still live._

_I can only hope I can stay alive long  
enough to make it out and prove my  
neighbors wrong. Wish me luck..._

_I'm gonna need it._

_-Nyxie Ross"_

As soon as I set the paper down, I started running again. I had to figure out what was going on here. I felt like there was some kind of pattern the monsters were following, if only loosely, so I needed to keep my eyes open. Room 112, strangely, had some old 8-bit games, but I didn't have time to play around. Room 115 had another machine with the specimen data, so I tried to look up #6 again, but just got another error screen. All I could do is keep running and watch out for any sign of specimen 2 and 3. Specimen 1 would just keep popping up randomly, and I'd just keep punching them down.

When I reached room 120... it was like stepping into a mad scientist's laboratory. Along the halls, there were humanoid beings and what looked like the head of a Velociraptor kept in suspended containment units. One had been broken open. Like something escaped. "Ookay, what kind of creepy mad science is going on here?" I asked the empty air. Proceeding further into the room, I found a note on a random table:

_"Subject 5 is growing more and  
more restless. I told Spook we  
need more funds for sedatives,  
but she just laughed and flew  
into the ceiling. Without more  
chemicals to keep these things  
docile, I'm not sure how much  
longer we can keep them here  
safely._

_-Generic Lab Assistant"_

"Must be talking about Specimen 3," realized, and kept moving. I had little doubt that creepy spider-thing was on the loose. I'd have to be careful. I made sure to pick up the key-card before I did, though. I might be able to find more clues with it.

In another part of the lab I unlocked with the key card, I found another pool of blood, and next to it was another note. With a sense of dread, I picked it up. It was from the lab assistant:

_"I believe subject 5 is loose.  
The glass around its container  
is shattered, and I can faintly  
hear clicking coming from the  
ceiling. I don't know what will  
happen now. If it is out and  
alive then this is probably my  
last report. The clicking is  
getting louder now._

_-Generic Lab Assistant"_

No sooner did I set down the note, I heard the aforementioned clicking of arachnid feet against the metal floor. I instinctively bolted, not wanting to look back. I ran until I couldn't hear the clicking anymore, and then kept running, punching down any cardboard jumpscare that popped out at me. I didn't feel safe again until I reached room 128, which was just a bridge leading to the next room. I really hoped I'd reach another "save point" or elevator soon. Those seemed to be safe areas. The sounds echoing around me were making me paranoid, though in a place like this, that was probably a good thing. After getting through three abyss rooms, I reached room 150, which, thankfully, was an elevator. Unfortunately, I found the skeleton of the Romantic. I could tell because it was holding a quill pen, which requires ink for dipping. "Shhhit." I said. I mean, I knew he was probably dead, but confirmation of it... yeah, I wasn't gonna be sleeping well if I got out of this place. Hopefully I would. I'd only been here for 25 minutes, and I was still unharmed.

Hoping to stay that way, I touched the ever-present cross on the left-hand table then hit the button for the elevator. When it reached the next level, I took off running, and just three rooms later I found the next note, stuck to one of the jumpscares:

_"This place is finally starting to  
affect me._

_I've seen enough horror movies to  
know how to survive a simple ghost  
or two, but these monsters keep  
getting faster and stranger."_

"Yeah, tell me about it." I agreed, continuing on. I still had to figure out the pattern in this place if I had any hope of surviving and getting out alive. In the very next room, I found another note:

_"In order to survive this house I need  
To keep writing notes._

_I must do everything a central  
protagonist would do and hope this  
is one of those stories._

_'Insert Obscure horror reference that  
no one gets and misinterprets as  
instructions somehow'"_

I paused for a second. Wasn't that what I was doing? No, not quite. Life is not a horror movie. Those are predictable even when well done. This place was unpredictable so far. Just in case some other poor soul wound up here, I decided to leave another note:

_"To whoever reads this:_

_Unlike what the Trope Guy who wrote  
the note next to this one thinks, this  
is not some horror movie, and more  
than likely, there is no central  
protagonist. Don't think that just by  
writing a few notes you'll survive this  
place._

_Just use your common sense. Keep your  
wits about you, and don't let the monsters  
get too close._

_-Nyxie Ross."_

And with that, I kept moving.

Literally, the very next room, I found the Trope Guy's third note:

_"Well I still haven't died so it appears  
I might be the protagonist,  
but I'm not entirely sure._

_I hope I'm not some side character that  
leaves notes for pointless exposition._

_Also I found a strange computer that  
gives descriptions of the __monsters. And  
it seems they are called  
'effective' based on how  
many people they kill."_

A few more rooms, and I found the next note:

_"I think the 'effectiveness' of  
the Specimens is also somehow related  
to the souls of the people they  
kill, somehow..._

_Anyway, I'm still alive and strong,  
but I feel like the inmost cave  
of my journey lies ahead._

_I wonder what the antagonist  
will look like._

_I hope they're cute."_

"I'm pretty sure that's the least of your worries, dude," I said, before sprinting off again. It was upon entering room 165 that things changed again. It looked like a creepy haunted school hallway, with lockers and classroom doors. I was lucky I had a flashlight, because it was really dark here and I couldn't see a light switch. Entering the nearest classroom, I shined the light around, trying to find something. A note. A key of some kind. Anything. All I found were some post-it notes with Japanese characters on them that I couldn't read. I quickly moved to the next classroom, only to find the door locked, so I went further down the hall. The silence was starting to get to me, so I began to hum to myself, just going with a simple child's lullaby as I tucked my chin into my oversized turtleneck sweater. I quickly realized that the song only made things creepier and shut up.

As I shined the light around the new classroom, I spotted the flickering shadow of a young boy. Then the shadows of other kids, probably no older than me. "Hello?" I called to them, and I wanted to scream in frustration at how timid I sounded. But I had their attention now. I could hear their whispering voices all around me, like the buzzing of bees.

_"Why are you here?"  
"Who are you?"  
"You shouldn't be here."  
"Get out."  
"Don't let her find you."  
"Help us."_

One of the shadows moved closer to me. Based entirely on the silhouette, I was pretty sure it was a boy. I couldn't see anything resembling a face, but it felt as if he was staring straight into my eyes. He put a note on the desk closest to me, and I crept over to read it.

_"Matsuri never came to  
Class today, I hope she  
made it home_ okay."

"Your friend is missing?" I asked. The shadow nodded. "I'll find out what happened to her." Just before I left the room, I heard a whispered _"I miss the sun."_ I froze. I couldn't tell if it was a girl or a boy who'd spoken, but the walls of confidence I'd built up broke, and I felt my eyes begin to well up. I quickly scrubbed them away with my sleeve, unwilling to let them roll down my face. I left the classroom without another word and went onto the next.

Classroom 3 was hardly different from the other two. It had desks, chairs, and the shades of long-dead school-kids. I checked one other room closer to the exit, and found a second note:

_"Could it really be true?  
I thought the fairy tales  
about the ghost that eats  
children who sneak in after  
class was just to keep us  
from disobeying. But  
Matsuri is still missing."_

"I need to run now." I said to myself. I bolted for the next door, and that's when I heard it. A ghastly, demonic sound that spurred me towards the door on all fours. I ran, and as I went through the rooms, I could hear the ghostly voice of a young girl humming.

_"Come here!"_ I heard her say as I navigated an abyss room.

"Don't tell me what to do!" I snapped back in reply as I made it to the door. I ran through about twenty rooms until I was sure I'd lost her. Hopefully I wouldn't run into her again. But who knows? Maybe she'd pop up again like Specimen 2 later. Regardless, I continued to book it until I reached room 193, which had a new layout i hadn't encountered yet. There were... things behind an extremely foggy window, and picture frames on one of the walls of YouTubers. It was strange, but I kept moving. I was relieved to find another note from the Trope Guy in room 197, and it seemed he was finally wising up.

_"I just realized I never had a  
Mentor figure, trial, or leaving  
home scene._

_That means this story isn't following  
The archetypes to make me a  
Traditional hero._

_Which means I can be killed off._

_It was nice for a little  
While at least."_

I just rolled my eyes and decided to leave another note of my own.

_"Hey, it's me again._

_If you're reading this, congratulations  
On not getting eaten by a ghost or  
having a heart attack or something.  
_

_As of writing this, I'm still alive, but  
Hey, that can always change, right?_

_Anyway, it seems the Specimens  
Are following a pattern of some sort,  
And I think I figured it out. A new  
Specimen always joins the equation  
At the 10th and 60th room, or just  
a little while after. Be on guard once  
you reach room 210, 260, and so on._

_You're welcome,_

_-Nyxie Ross"_

With my note written, I hurried on my way, still punching every jumpscare I saw. I was glad to relax for a bit when I reached the elevator that served as room 200, and I quickly dug a granola bar out of my backpack. As I was chewing and catching my breath, I noticed a note on the table opposite of the Cross.

_"Day 2._

_Food supply depleted.  
Water at 30%.  
Mental health deteriorating.  
Leaving notes behind to help  
Others and mark where I've been."_

"Two days, and that's all it takes for you to go mad?" I asked the dead air. I touched the cross then pushed the down button. I couldn't help but sigh as the thing went further into the bedrock. "Why did I do this?" I asked myself. And then I remembered. Because I'm a stubborn 12-year-old who doesn't like to admit defeat.

In other words, an dumb kid.


	3. Why is There Always a Creepy Cult

Tucking the wrapper of my now-finished granola bar into my pocket, I steeled myself for the next room. When the door opened, I saw that the walls and floor seemed to be made of cement blocks, like sidewalks. Other than that, the layout wasn't all that different from the previous floors. As I reached the door that would lead to room 210, I popped my knuckles, neck, and back, preparing myself for the inevitable chase. Opening the door, I gazed in horror at the rusty grates on the floor, which was covered in blood-spatter. Even the doors were rusty. Many of the doors I found were broken, and the whole place just felt... evil. There was no other word for it.

Finally I found a door that wasn't broken. The room it held was just as filthy as the others, with what looked like a cot in one corner. And on a table close tot he door was a note.

_"The darkness is slowly  
consuming us now.  
I don't think our rituals will  
appease it much longer.  
How were we supposed to  
know this would happen?"_

Great. Just great. I'd wandered into the headquarters of a cult. Why is there always a creepy cult? If this was Specimen 5's territory, who had been found in an abandoned church, I had little doubt that this thing was what they were trying to appease. I could've told them it was stupid. Never mess with occult shit like Ouija boards and creepy rituals. That was just common sense.

I quickly left the room and checked the door across the hall. It was also broken, so I checked the next one. Thankfully it wasn't broken and I went inside. It was just as disgusting as the previous room, and there was something that looked like a bloody hide drying on a rack. There was also another note.

_"It's not really our fault, we  
just did what Mother has  
told us to do in this sort  
of situation."_

"It's your fault for worshiping something that probably requires a human sacrifice in the first place, idiot." I said to the empty air before leaving the room. It was only a matter of time until I found the final note that would signal the Specimen's awakening and begin the chase. Another broken door, and then I found one that worked. The room beyond it had another cot... with a big, dark stain taking up most of the room. I spotted another note on the table, so I focused on that instead of the stain.

_"Mother is not pleased with  
us, but how were we  
supposed to know that  
the girl was not pure?"_

"Um, ask her, you idiot?" I replied, hurrying out of the room. If this thing was something the sacrificed virgins to... I had to get the heck out of dodge. By now I could recognize a broken door, which was always a bit darker in color than one that worked. When I found the next door, I was surprised to see a guy frozen in what looked like carbonite in a cell. "Star Wars reference?" I asked, and got no response, but that was to be expected. I left the room, and continued down the hall. The door leading onward had some sort of gate in front of it, big enough to pass through. The moment I walked through the door, my vision went all blurry. I went through another door, and almost puked at what I saw.

The room was red. Flesh-red, like the inside of a womb. And there was something that looked like an umbilical cord attached to one side, and something that looked like a fetus in the middle of the floor. The worst part... was that the cries of a baby filled the room, making it all too real. "Why?! JUST WHY?!" I exclaimed in disgust before I turned tail and ran, leaving room 210 behind me. No sooner had I entered room 211, I felt a hostile presence and ran when a terrible noise startled me. The rooms appeared foggy, and while that did little to hinder my progress, the sudden optical illusions of a river of blood certainly did! There were moments when I couldn't even see the door! And all the while, I could hear the specimen making its steady approach.

I lost it when I reached room 236, another abyss room. I was just thankful to have gotten away from it. I kept running for ten more rooms until room 246, when I saw a map that said "YOU ARE HERE." But the rooms kept shifting around, making it impossible to tell where I was.

Four more rooms, and I found Spooky in room 250. "So, you made it this far." she said as she drifted forward to speak with me. "That's uh... that's great!" She did not sound sincere. "I shall grant you a gift. For your... progress. So, uh.. So just keep going!" And before I could get a word in edge-wise, she floated backwards into a painting of herself. She left behind a gift box, and I was unsure if I should open it. Before I approached it, I touched the cross on the table to my left, the drew near, pondering what could be inside. On the one hand, it could hold something really dangerous. On the other, it could hold something useful. My curiosity and optimism won out, and I opened it.

The box was empty, aside from the words "Look Behind You!" written in purple glitter-glue. With a sense of dread, I turned to look. When I did, a bunch of cardboard jumpscared popped out from the entryway, loud noises and all. I rolled my eyes and went through the door to my right. Some gift. I soon found another room with the Cat-dos database, and wouldn't you know it? I was able to see what Specimen 6 was this time!

A lifesize wooden puppet. Active, had caused 189 fatalities through physical puncturing. Effective against those who disregarded it or had visual impairments. Puppets were creepy enough. I guess it only made sense there would be one here. And I had only a few rooms until I would encounter it. I glanced at my watch. I'd been here for about 43 minutes and had had to run for my life five times now. I'd have to be careful.

I also looked up Specimens 7-11. A stag-creature, a wall of flesh, one that was apparently dead, a worm thing, and some kind of demon.

Surprisingly, I didn't run into the puppet anywhere near room 260, so I left a note.

_"Hey, me again._

_So it seems they only loosely conform_

_to the 10 and 60 pattern._

_Specimen 6 probably won't make an_

_appearance until room 310._

_Gonna keep my eyes pealed for  
_

_2, 3, and 5, though._

_I'm not convinced they're confined_

_to their respective areas._

_-Nyxie Ross"_

It was a good thing I was staying alert, because in room 268 I heard the choked sound of Specimen 2 again. I fled, being careful with the puddles of ooze. I cursed when i reached room 283, an abyss room, and it attacked me, but I pushed it off the edge and heard it give a choked scream. I didn't wait to find out if it would splat somewhere far below.

Somehow the thing survived and was still pursuing me beyond the abyss room. I barely had time to read the note the new guy, the Survivalist, had left.

_"DAY 3,_

_Hallucinations__ are __manifesting  
__at increasing intervals. The  
__cause is probably sleep  
__deprivation or a gas that is  
__being pumped into the rooms._

_I have not yet been injured so  
I don't think the cause is a  
brain injury or blood clot."_

"It's not all hallucinations, dude!" I said as I kept moving. I wasn't convinced I'd lost it until I reached room 300, another elevator, in which I found the Survivalist's next note.

_"DAY 4,_

_I'm starting to lose track  
of time._

_The battery on my phone  
became very low, so I  
delegated to save it in  
case I find an exit."_

"All the more reason to wear a watch," I said with a shrug as I touched the cross. I glanced at said watch. I'd been in this mansion for 51 minutes now, and was 3/10's to my goal. Compared to everyone else, I must be making this look easy. I took another drink of water from the plastic bottle in my bag before pressing the down button on the elevator. I wasn't going to give up and die. I'd find that exit and get home, even if I had to make an exit myself!

As soon as the door opened, I took in the change in scenery. The walls, floor, and ceiling were made of various sizes of red bricks. Like many areas, there were torches burning on the walls. I didn't waste time with sightseeing and hustled forward, wanting to get this level over with as soon as possible. I found another cat-dos computer in room 303, but there was no new information, so I quickly left.

It didn't take long to find room 310, and based on the more detailed decor, I knew I was in the puppet's domain. I began exploring it and found a room similar to a counsel room, with masks on the walls. I found two notes there.

_"One day, a strange merchant  
came to town. He sold  
handmade puppets and trinkets  
and all the children loved  
his store and his gifts. But  
the town couldn't support  
his store because the other  
shops were failing._

_The other shop keepers  
became jealous. So one  
night some of the  
townspeople took all his  
puppets and threw them in  
the river."_

"Rude." I said simply, before reading the second note.

_"But just afterwords he came  
running to the river crying  
and wailing that his children  
were being drowned. He  
dove into the river trying  
to save his possessions._

_The townspeople, bitter  
and still angry watched him  
frantically thrash and dive  
into the river until he never  
came back to the surface  
of the water."_

"What selfish jerks!" I said, hoping the puppet (which was probably the vengeful spirit of the merchant) would hear me and realize I was being sympathetic. I picked up the key on the table and continued my exploration.

In another counsel room, I found two more notes.

_"Although not what they  
wanted, the shop keepers  
were satisfied."_

I made a sound of disgust. Was the economy in their little town in such dire straights that they were fine with committing manslaughter? I quickly read the next note.

_"Years later the children  
of the town began to go  
missing. And as more  
and more children  
disappeared, people  
began to find more and  
more puppets in the  
forest and around the  
river._

_These puppets seemed  
to almost look like the  
missing children sometimes."_

"An eye for an eye, eh, Mr. Merchant?" I called, making sure anything in the area could hear me. "Their children as payment for yours?" I picked up a key I found in a pool of blood and began looking for a way out. "You know... I don't blame you. Not entirely. You were just trying to earn a living, right? It's not your fault the town's economy was bust. It's certainly not your fault the kids preferred your store and gifts. If your rivals wanted their business, they should've tried improving their wares." I found myself standing before a door with a white skull painted on it. "And then they threw your beloved children in the river. Any father worth his salt would try to save them..." I neared the center of the room beyond. "But they let you and your children drown. They took your children. So you took theirs in revenge. Isn't that right, Mr. Merchant?"

An eerie cackle of an old man filled the air, and the puppet that was Specimen 6 appeared before me. _"A brave and foolish child you are,"_ he said in a creepy voice. _"To come in here and dredge up bad memories. Brave to speak to me, foolish to think I'll spare you."_

"I just wanted to let you know," I said. "I'm sorry for your loss. You're not the only one in this God-forsaken Hellhole to have lost someone near and dear to their heart. And I'm not going to make killing me easy. Just so you know." With that, I backed up to the door on my left, and the backwards chase began. It wasn't easy to navigate the twisting hallways and abyss rooms and keep an eye on him at all times. The sound of wood clattering always alerted me to wherever he was hovering, but having to walk backwards the entire way was torture. I guess this was his payback for the "I'm-not-going-to-make-it-easy-to-kill-me" comment.

He wasn't going to make it easy for me to live.

I finally lost him at room 334, one of the longest and most stressful chases yet. But now I was free to run like normal while keeping an eye out for other specimens and notes from fellow humans, so I had that going for me!

It wasn't until room 350 I found the Survivalist's next note.

_"DAY 5,_

_I can't remember.  
Why did I come here?_

_Was there ever a purpose?_

_I believe death is steadily  
approaching me now. The  
hallucinations can hurt me,  
I'm out of provisions,  
and I'm having sudden  
violent heart palpitations."_

"Crap." I whispered, shaking my head. "Another one bites the dust. First the Romantic, then the Trope Guy, and now you, Survivalist?"

I decided it was time for another of my notes.

_"Hey. Me again._

_I know in the specimen database  
a lot of people have died here,  
but when you run around, reading  
their note, imagining how their  
voices might sound, what their faces  
looked like, they become less of a  
statistic, and more of a human being._

_Despite never knowing the people  
who left notes in their wake before me,  
I mourn their passing. They had lives,  
goals, families. And now their souls  
are trapped in this place forever._

_I swear that I will not join them._

_-Nyxie Ross"_

With renewed resolve, I took a granola bar out of my backpack and started munching on it before continuing. I would not become another statistic in this place. Death and failure were not options.

I would get out of here, and I'd make Spooky and her Specimens pay.


	4. I Didn't Schedule a Therapy Session

As I made my way to room 400, I realized I was being chased by Specimen 3 again. Stupid little spider-freak. I never mentioned this, but I have arachnophobia. I HATE spiders, and spiders hate me. Drop a plastic one like the kind you see at Halloween anywhere near me and I will punch you. Drop a REAL one of any size, shape or color near me, and I will kick you in the privates after I recover from fainting. Then I will give you a butchered haircut while you sleep. I'd done it to one of the bullies at school before. That was fun.

I'm getting off track. While I was able to escape it after room 360-something, the persisting feeling of dread and paranoia lingered, making me keep up my pace. When I got to room 370, I saw startled by another cardboard jumpscare, but not simply because it popped out when I wasn't expecting the damn thing. This one looked, a little green tentacle creature, now looked like it had bathed in nightmare fuel. "Oooh...kay," I said slowly and uncertainly. "And here I thought I could count on you guys to stay cute. So much for that." And with that, I punched down the creepy jumpscare and continued on my way.

Things got worse when I entered room 390. I heard the voice of Specimen 4 again. "OH, COME ONE!" I yelled furiously as I made a mad dash for room 400, hearing her eerie humming. The twisting hallways really didn't help as I fled for my life, finally reaching the elevator. And within it, I found the Survivalist's final note.

_"DAY 7,_

_I can't tell the real from the unreal  
anymore. My limbs refuse to move  
the way I want them to. I feel  
like I'm wading in a deep river  
that is always flowing against  
my direction._

_Now I will lie down and let the  
river flow over me. I will let it  
guide me to its end._

_I know where I'm going anyway.  
This place, this entire place,  
is just a gyrating screaming  
rock in the vastness of an  
infinite kingdom._

_I'm going to rest now.  
I'll be watching over you."_

I felt the hot tears run down my face as I touched the cross, then pressed the down button. I didn't bother to dry them. I just let them fall as the elevator descended deeper into the earth, and I sat on the floor, my knees drawn up to my chest. For all my defiance, for all my attitude and confidence... at this moment, I was afraid. I was a scared child who had spent the last hour and 12 minutes running for her life, chased by creatures that shouldn't exist. In this moment, I just wanted to go home. I just wanted to blink my eyes and wake up in my cozy bed back home... for this all to fade from memory like a bad dream.

_"Don't tell me you're giving up?"_

My head jerked up. I knew that voice. "What do you care, Spooky?" I choked out through the lump in my throat. The ghost girl was hovering before me, her arms crossed, a frown on her face like a disappointed child. "How many people have died here, killed or died of hunger and thirst? How many people have died trying to reach the 1,000th room?"

_"A lot,"_ she said with a shrug. _"You've gotten farther than a lot of them. Most didn't make it past Specimen 5 and 6. I've gotta admit, I'm impressed. But this..."_ she gestured to me, drawn up into myself, tear-stains down my cheeks, my eyes red from crying. _"Is not impressive. Why'd you come here, anyway? I mean, you're not any older than I was when I died. What drove you to come here, knowing many had come here before you and never returned?"_

"I wanted to prove them wrong." I said, the resentment of being underestimated and not taken seriously simply for being 12 years old creeping back into my heart, my determination sparking back to life. "To prove that I'm not just some stupid kid who dyed her hair silver because she's into anime!"

_"Ani-what?"_

"It's before your time... probably." I dismissed. "I came here to prove that noting here can kill me..." I rose to my feet as I felt the elevator begin to slow. "That there's more to me than meets the eye."

_"Well, you won't be able to do that if you stay in the elevator,"_ Spooky said logically as the machinery stopped. _"You've still got 600 rooms to go. Better get moving."_

I dried away the tracks the tears had made down my face. She was right. I hated her, but she was right. I had to keep going. Sulking here wasn't going to get me anywhere. "Right." I said, finding the determination to keep moving. I opened the door, ready to plunge into the horrors that lay ahead. I just wish I had a weapon of some kind. "Ready or not, Specimen 7... here comes Nyxie!"

The layout of the rooms on this level weren't much different from the previous floors. An abyss room at 403, a few acid pits after that, and suddenly I was in room 410. The walls were made of shiny black bricks with red molding where wall met floor, and the floor itself was like a black-and-white chessboard. Taking a few steps forward, I noticed red writing a few feet in front of me, with red lines pointing to either wall. "_Threshold of Consciousness."_ I read aloud. I wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean, but I could only hope this wasn't going to be like a trip to the therapist. I highly distrust anyone who's job title is "The rapist" minus the space between the words.

With a sigh, I crossed the "threshold". As soon as I did, a light pink cat with pink around her eyes appeared, calmly wagging her tail. Behind her was a loudly ticking Grandfather clock. "Why hello there. Are you lost, little one?" she asked, her voice echoing in my head. I bent down, a bit wary of it and everything else in this place, but unlike every other entity here, this cat gave off no aura of hostility. I reached out, and she let me stroke her head.

"What is this place?" I asked.

"This place can help those who are ready, but expect turmoil more than you are used to." she replied.

"So, like a trip to the psychologist?" I asked? She nodded. "Sorry, kitty, but I didn't schedule a therapy session." I stood back us and looked around. There were three hallways. One went North, one went West, and one went East. I went down the East hallway first and opened the only working door. Inside, it was like the vast emptiness of space. I couldn't tell where wall met floor, the glittering stars just kept moving across its surface so easily. "Whoa..." I whispered, awed that something this beautiful existed here. Even the cat was here, so I went to talk to her.

"Balance is the key to keeping your mind free and sane." was all she would say. I took this moment to help myself to another small snack to keep myself going. This time it was some string cheese. With more fuel to burn, I was ready to continue. I left the confusing yet calming room and headed for the west hallway. This time, there were two working doors, so I entered the closest one..

Inside, the room was yellow on one half and pink on the other. Strange wormy things perpetually crawled across the floor but posed no threat. Further into the room was a strange compass that pointed to me wherever I went. And the Cat was there again. "Two sided of the same coin. Knowing your projections can help you achieve freedom."

I just stared blankly. I had no idea what that meant. I just left the room and headed for the next door. This room looked like an office, with the sound of phone calls and adults talking. A computer monitor on one desk flashed a series of messages. _Put on your mask. Be who you are to others. Be part of something. Become more than yourself. Follow the group._

"The mask you wear serves its purpose well, but be careful not to lose yourself in it." The cat said when I turned to it. I had no idea what any of this meant. I just knew that soon I'd have to face Specimen 7.

Psychology was something I didn't understand, so nothing the cat was saying made any sense to me. Confused, but still determined, I left the room and headed for the North hallway. The room was pure darkness, with only the Cat and a door visible. "Knowing your shadow can greatly help you, but be ready to see what you'd rather not be." she said.

I looked from her to the door. I still didn't know what she was talking about, but it seemed she was trying to help me. "Thanks for the cryptic advice," I said with a weak smile, before proceeding forward. I threw open the door to a red-tinged hallway and ran through the twisting path, which was framed here and there with sleep-paralysis demons. I didn't bother to look back at the wall of flesh that would follow me. Oh, how I wish I had a weapon to destroy the sleep-paralysis demons!

I escaped... whatever the hell that was when I reached room 418 and breathed a sigh of relief. "If that's what therapy gets you, I'm never talking to the school counselor _again_!" I said to the empty air before pressing onward. I kept going, checking every room for notes, hoping to find that someone had made it as far as I had. I found another mini-arcade past the abyss-room, and another puzzle-room, and got chased by Specimen 3 for... what was this, the third time today? Why the hell weren't these things confined to their respective chambers?

It was in room 469 I found another Cat-dos computer, but there was no new information for me to access. Useless. Shortly after that, I was chased by Specimen 3 AGAIN! "I swear, as soon as I find a weapon, you're DEAD!" I yelled over my shoulder at it. I don't think it understood me. Or it didn't care. Maybe both. Finally I threw it some of my food in hopes of getting it to leave me alone.

Amazingly, it actually stopped and inspected the piece of turkey-jerky I'd thrown it, then gobbled it up. It made a pleased sound, then scurried over to me, but it wasn't acting hostile anymore. It looked like it was asking for more. My face blank, I took out another stick of turkey-jerky and fed it to the creepy-crawly drenched in nightmare fuel, knelt down, and pet its head. It made a pleased sound and pressed its head into my hand like a cat asking for affection. I gave it a smile as I pet it with both hands, scratching behind its head. It seemed so happy. It was almost cute.

It never saw it coming when I broke its neck.

I stood, brushed the dust off my jeans, then turned away. That was the last I'd see of Specimen 3.

* * *

(A few minutes later...)

I'd reached room 500, and to my surprise, it was another large room like 250. And Spooky was waiting for me.

_"Well, here you are,"_ she said as she floated over to me. _"Alive and... still here. At the cost of one of my specimen's life."_

"It had it coming." I said simply, which was probably true.

_"You just keep on going, don't you? Even if someone has to die to make that possible."_

"They're all trying to kill me," I said. "I'd be an idiot not to fight back."

Spooky seemed to consider this. _"Makes sense,"_ she agreed. _"Well, the next door has been fixed up for you. So enjoy, and keep moving on! You little... fleshy, live one."_ And with that, she ascended into the ceiling. I was pretty sure she wanted to call me something worse.

There were two doors, but one had an "Out of Order" sign and wouldn't budge when I tried to open it. I was forced to go through the door Spooky had "fixed up" for me. Room 501 branched to look like the rooms on the first story, and when I tried to enter room 502, I somehow looped back to room 52! "WHAT THE HELL?!" I yelled. Now I'd have to deal with Specimen 2 all over again!

Sure enough, when I reached room 60 I was back where Specimen 2 first spawned. I checked the note, but this time it said something different.

_"ERROR 002313FB_GEL  
CANNOT RELEASE TWICE  
EXIT THROUGH EXPRESS"_

I had no idea what that meant, but hopefully I wouldn't have to redo almost 500 rooms. For some reason, specimen 2 didn't respawn, and there was a door similar to the ones in the elevators. I went through it, and it opened into some kind of express tunnel. When I exited it, I was back in the 500's, in room 512! Yay!

Continuing on, I found another mini-arcade in room 513. Needing a little levity-break, I decided to play the game called "Spooky Cart" which sounded like a parody of Mario Cart. I soon found the objective was to run all the normal cars off the track with what looked like some kind of assault vehicle, and killed a good 5 minutes playing it.

While it was a bit violent, it really helped me calm down. I was ready to go again.

Unfortunately, as soon as I entered room 514, Specimen 4 decided to spawn and chase me again. Ugh. I ran from her for a good 15 rooms until I lost her at room 529. A few more acid rooms and a puzzle room, and I found something interesting in room 541. There was a locked door and two tables with nothing of interest, so I started looking for another door. Somehow it just looped back to that room, and now there was a note.

_"This was such a surprise.  
That there would be another entry.  
Another actual entry.  
One I could admire._

_But then as suddenly as it came,  
it left._

_And now you disband._

_Your influence and inspiration  
will never leave me."_

I stared at that last part. It made no sense to me. I ended up looping back around a few times before the door unlocked and I could continue.

And then I reached room 550.

The domain of the Deer thing.


	5. OH DEER LORD!

It was strange. And bright. It was like being outside in the woods during the fall. There were trees and plants, but the fact that there were walls and another door confirmed that it was another room. Another Specimen chamber. I knew I was to encounter Specimen 8 soon. I went through the door and found myself in a cabin-like room with a fur rug and a few pieces of wood furniture. I nearly cried in relief when I found a note, the first one I'd seen in a long time.

_"For a while, I thought I had  
really escaped this place.  
__But despite the 'trees' and  
flora, I think this is actually  
just another room. I did,  
however, find deer, so I  
might at least get to eat._

_They make some strange sounds,  
though..."_

My mouth watered instantly. I'd never tried venison before, but I'd been dying to find out for a while now...

If only I had a weapon to kill them with! A gun, a bow and some arrows, an ax... "Something lethal would be really great right now!" I said, hearing my stomach rumble. I ate my last stick of turkey-jerky, then went through the next door. The moment I entered room 552, I had a strong feeling I needed to avoid the one deer I saw. My gut had saved my life several times alone today, and I wasn't about to ignore it now. I carefully maneuvered to the next door, staying out of its line of sight. My hunger was clawing at me, though. I needed more than granola and dried meat. I needed fresh meat...

Something primal overtook me, and when the deer wasn't looking, I lunged at it, overpowering it with my weight. I pinned its thin legs under my body and held its head down with my arms. It struggled violently, showing teeth sharper than normal, but my only thought was to fill my belly. I bit into its neck, clamping down hard enough to break the jugular. The not-a-deer screamed in agony, but by now I was so crazed with hunger I didn't care.

I blacked out for a moment, and when I came to, I was in room 553. My hands, sweater, face, and even my hair, were covered in drying blood. Looking toward the door I came through, there was a bloody drag mark about as wide as the deer. In the middle of the floor was a meat-spit and a dying fire. And scattered all around me were bones, gnawed bones of all sizes, along with the entrails of my kill. And I was full. Comfortably so.

It kinda horrified me that I'd gone so far in the name of survival. I was surprised that I didn't puke my guts out when I realized what I had done.

I stood and looked around again. On one of the drawers was another note.

_"I don't know what they are,  
but they are definitely not  
deer! I tried sneaking up on  
one the other day to kill for  
food, but it saw me as soon  
as I got close. I was barely able  
to get away from the thing._

_I've managed to board up  
most of them. Hopefully  
I can find another way  
out of here."_

"Should've just eaten them," I said darkly, trying to scratch off some of the dried blood. I ended up having to take out my water bottle and use my spare sweater as a wash cloth to get the stuff off my face, hair and hands. I decided it was time to leave a note.

_"Hey! Me again!_

_So... things have been kinda crazy  
since my last note. The Survivalist  
didn't make it. I had a therapy session  
with a talking cat. I killed Specimen 3  
and a violet deer with my bare hands.  
I was just so hungry._

_I stand here now with blood on my  
hands. I'm not sure how to feel about  
the fact that I literally imitated a tigress  
by killing the deer with my teeth._

_I don't know how much longer my sanity  
will last... let alone my humanity._

_-Nyxie Ross."_

Placing the note on the desk, I left room 553, and almost immediately found an ax stuck in a tree. I grinned happily. "Sweet! Time to fight my way out!" I said, yanking the blade free of the wood. There were no deer in this room, so I charged forward and hacked down the boards blocking the door to room 555. Channeling the rage and fear I'd felt since my first encounter with Specimen 2, I took it all out on the so-called violent deer. They tried to fight back, but I left them all dead, my face and hair splattered with fresh, warm blood.

After a quick exploration of room 557 and finding the one key and the chase was on. I glanced over my shoulder once to see a stag-monster drifting after me, with creepy antlers, know lower jaw, and a cloak that hid a rib-cage and the souls of the damned in its midsection. "OH DEER LORD!" I shouted as I turned to flee. For a good 20 rooms, my vision was static-filled, and the Deer Lord's distorted calls of "**Join us" "Why do you run, child?" "Your submission is inevitable." **and **"Your flesh will sustain my children."** filled me with a kind of rage.

**"Your flesh will sustain my children."** it called again, and I saw red.

"I will devour your children!" I snarled back. "The hunter shall never be the hunted!"

I finally escaped it, so I decided to take stock of what I'd been through.

Pieces of cardboard popped out at me at random intervals. Creatures that looked like they'd been drowned in Nightmare Fuel had chased me through the halls trying to kill me. I'd read the messages of three fellow challengers who had no doubt died in pain, fear, and agony. I'd left notes of my own to try to give anyone else who came through here a little hope to keep them going. I'd killed a specimen just as it was showing it could possibly be domesticated, and I'd killed a ton of violent deer, one for food and the others as revenge for everything I'd experienced. And I'd only been running for... one hour and thirty-eight minutes.

On the plus side, I was a little over half-way done, so I had that going for me! "Stay positive, Nyxie, you little ax murderer, you," I said, examining the ax as I kept going through the doors. I was lucky that it was sturdy and well-made, not some piece of garbage that would break before I could hope to escape.

* * *

I proceeded to the elevator that served as room 600, and was thankful that nothing but a few more of Specimen 1 popped out at me, all of which I chopped down with the ax. I saved my progress and pressed the down button, feeling a lot more confident with a weapon in my hands. Rooms 601-609 were nothing new. An acid-pit room, dark hallways, a few of Specimen 1. But the moment I entered room 610 and heard a loud metal _thump!_ went I set foot inside, I knew I'd entered Specimen 9's territory.

Then I remembered Specimen 9 had been terminated because of how violent and unpredictable was, so this had to be Specimen 10's territory. I thought back to the last time I'd checked its entry. Some hind of humanoid parasitic alien thing, right? Right! Or was it the eel thing? "Welp, time to kill another specimen!" I said, and began looking for clues.

The only problem was that this place was extremely dark, and my flashlight could only illuminate so much. I could only hope there was a generator. I was thankful when I found the first digital note, no doubt left by one of Spooky's unfortunate lackeys.

_"This place is somehow  
even worse than the new  
GL Labs. Although it seems  
to have been constructed  
with a much larger budget than  
the new lab, nothing works  
quite right. I can see why it  
was abandoned so quickly.  
I wonder if there really is  
anything worth salvaging."_

"Well that certainly doesn't bode well for me," I grumbled before smiling again. "Good thing I've got my ax! Nothing a little brute force and a dash of going insane can't solve!"

Whistling merrily like I was just going through a pleasant walk through a haunted forest in a horror movie, I located a power generator and got the lights running, then kept searching the halls of room 610, looking for anything that might tell me more about my victi- er, I mean, Specimen 10. It really was a dump down here. I sci-fi looking dump that really needed to just be scrapped entirely. In room 613 the generator gave out and the chamber was plunged into darkness, and to keep going I had to go through an air duct in room 614, crawling on my hands and knees and hacking through nasty buildups that got in my way.

When i crawled out of the duct, I'd reached room 615, and I found another digital note.

_"Spooky just said that there  
were 'things' we needed to  
salvage from this place. I'm  
starting to worry that a loose  
specimen may be included  
in the list of 'things' for us to  
retrieve._

_The power just shut off  
again. Is everything broken  
here?"_

"Yeah, probably." I said with a nod. I turned on the generator I found and crawled through the next air duct to room 616. There was a puddle of blood in the middle of the room, and I had a sinking feeling I was being watched... until I remembered I had an ax. "C'mon out, Specimen 10," I called with a malicious grin as I turned toward a rattling in the other air vent. "You really wanna fight little ol' me?" I laughed, and it came out sounding a little unhinged as the modified eel slithered out. "It's time to die."

It gave me a curious look before its head split open and the parasitic alien emerged, killing the former Specimen 10. I flipped the ax in my hand as it began to amble toward me. "Lady, you need to put some clothes on," I said, looking the thing up and down with an unimpressed eye. It looked like a female human, minus a set of arms, and was utterly naked. "But it's not like I'm gonna give you a chance to get dressed."

And with that, I charged, ax held high, blood-lust in my eyes.

The specimen didn't stand a chance.

Its enraged screeched didn't even faze me as I dodged its gaping jaws in its midsection before hacking at the left hip, causing it to fall. With a spin I ripped the ax free of the monster's flesh and swung again, chopping straight through the right knee as I moved behind it. It was screaming, and a nasty green ooze was leaking from its wounds. Its blood, I guess. I quickly chopped off the other led at the knee, knowing it couldn't flee. It tried to turn over, but I slammed my foot between its shoulder blades, pinning it down.

_"One, two! One, two! And through and through,"_ I quoted _"The Vorpal blade went snicker-snack. He left it dead, and with its head, he came galumphing back."_ As in the poem, I chopped through the monster's neck, severing its head, making it roll across the room. "A real Jabberwock would've presented a bigger challenge." And with that, I hacked it to pieces, making sure it was dead as dead could get. I left the room and the corpse behind me, the ax dripping in my hand.

With the latest obstacle defeated, I skipped merrily through the halls, feeling unstoppable. Somewhere close to room I began humming, then outright singing in celebration of having made it this far. When I reached room 668, I found another cat-dos computer and decided to see what was next. After a little clicking, I found it was a demon-like creature from a restaurant. Great, just great. More reason to never eat fast food again.

I exited the program and went on my merry way until a familiar and unwelcome raspy cackle caught my attention in room 673. It was the Puppet, again. "Nope!" I said, swinging my ax at him before he could react. The force of the blow slammed him against the wall before the blade severed his head from his body. He clattered to the floor, as lifeless as a puppet should be. I took the liberty of chopping him to pieces, then fished a match and some lighter fluid out of my backpack. He went up in flames before I smothered them out with my spare sweater, and I decided to leave a note before going further.

_"Hey, again! It's Nyxie._

_This twisted 'game' has gotten  
a lot easier now that I have an  
ax to make defending myself easier.  
Since my last note, I killed all the  
deer, Specimen 10, and Specimen  
6\. Looks like playing all those  
violent video games in first-person  
mode over the years really helped!_

_Anyway, it seems the next Specimen  
is a demon. I'll try to kill him  
before he kills me._

_Later!_

_-Nyxie Ross"_

It wasn't long before I reached the elevator at room 700. Pleased to have a respite before I had to continue, I saved my progress and punched the down button. As I looked around, I spotted what seemed to be a movie poster.

_PILLAR. Make like a tree... and DIE! coming this fall..._

I think I'll skip it.

The elevator groaned to a stop, and i readjusted my grip on the handle of the ax with a grin. "Get ready, demon. Here's Nyxie!"


	6. This is Why I Don't Eat Fast Food

**A.N.: Hey guys! So as you've probably guessed, Nyxie's going to end up as a Specimen. There's literally no way she won't at this point unless I were to let one of the other Specimens kill her, and I'm not killing off one of my OC's. **

**I will be writing an epilogue containing her Specimen data, and probably a ****sequel**** so Nyxie can get her revenge. I don't know if I'll do one for the Karamari Hospital thing, though. That place creeps me out more than I can rationalize due to some childhood hospital trauma. Anyway, here's this chapter!**

* * *

Aside from the color and materials of the walls and floors, there wasn't much about room 701 that differed from the ones I'd encountered before. The only real difference as I approached room 710 was the faint stench of grease that one often smells around fast food joints like McDonald's and Burger King. It triggered the faintest memory of the scent of venison roasting over an open fire from when I'd killed that deer so many rooms ago, and I decided I liked the smell of venison better. I knew that if, by some miracle, I made it out of here alive, I'd never enjoy steak from a cow as much as I would steak from a deer.

I heard one of the Specimen chasing me as I neared room 710, I think it was Specimen 5. But fortunately I made it into 710 before I could come in contact with the thing. Or maybe it was unfortunate. After all, I wanted to kill every specimen now that I had the means to do so. If I killed them all and hacked my way back the way I came (though I didn't remember every twist and turn I'd taken), I'd get back to the surface. But for now, I had to find a way out of... whatever this was.

I looked around, and could now understand why I'd smelled grease. This Specimen Chamber was restaurant-themed. Or, more accurately, fast-food themed. The walls were white and reddish-orange, and there were a couple of signs: **"TASTE THE BEEF!" "100% BEEF!"**

Yeah, something told me it wasn't 100% beef.

Looking over the counter, I saw a note, so I located the door that would lead me to it. I already had a feeling it would be from one of the employees.

_"1  
I was anxious about getting a job  
here at first, but it seems  
like things are getting better.  
This chain is really expanding,  
which is a shock, because just  
last week I heard this company  
was going broke. Everyday, more  
and more people show up to  
eat here. Something still  
sets me off about this place  
and its food though, so I'm  
going to try and not eat anything  
from here."_

"Yeah, good idea!" I agreed. This place was empty as all get out and I was still on edge, but the weight of the bloody ax in my hand was reassuring. If I saw that demon thing, I'd do my best to kill it. But if I couldn't, I'd get the hell out of here.

One way, or another.

I made my way into an office, and on the desk was another note from the employee.

_"2_

_Today was a weird day...  
_

_The average number of orders  
continues to rise as it has  
been, but I don't know about  
the number of people. Today  
I saw someone use the drive  
through and order a lot of food  
for one person, and then about  
10 minutes later, they were back.  
They ordered the exact same meals,  
and then they left again, then  
after another 10 minutes they  
were back again. Maybe they're  
just delivering food for a party  
or hotel, but it worries me  
for some reason."_

"Yeah, that's a good reason to be worried," I agreed. I felt a sudden need to go to the lady's room, and since it was a restaurant, I knew there'd be one. I started frantically looking for it, and in my rush to get to a toilet, I almost didn't see the note lying on the floor near the first stall.

The odor in the lady's room was awful, like something had died and been left to rot for who knows how long. I hurried up and did my business, then went back to read the note.

_"3.  
Well, I broke my one rule  
today. The management  
doesn't give out actual  
lunch breaks, so I can't go  
anywhere, and they won't  
allow outside food here.  
I mean they actually screamed  
at the last customer who  
did that. It wasn't bad, and  
I don't feel sick, so I  
might get a few every  
now and then."_

"Oh, you poor fool," I said, shaking my head. I put down the note, took some hand sanitizer out of my pocket (I don't trust the water here... if there is water, and just as I was about to leave, I got the feeling I'd missed something. I walked over to the second-to-last stall and saw something with a metallic glint behind the door. I kicked it open (unnecessary, I know,) and picked up a key. I couldn't help grinning. I stuffed it into a pocket and continued my search.

My quest for the next note took me to the play area. There was an entrance, an exit, and a list of rules:

1\. Be this tall (I was the exact height required)

2\. No screams

3\. Look out for snakes

4\. No alcohol

5\. No diving

6\. No hiding

7\. We will find you

"Well, that sounds ominous," I said, before I spotted another note on the floor.

_"4.  
This is strange..._

_I had a dream last night about this  
place. I know I was here, but I  
also felt like I was in another  
place at the same time. Everything  
looked so... wrong. Nothing was the  
right size, and I kept hearing these  
strange animal noises, almost  
like wailing. I guess I just feel  
guilty for eating that burger the  
other day. Also today I saw that man  
again. The one who kept ordering  
every ten minutes. This time he  
never left the parking lot.  
He just got his meal, parked, and  
then got back in line. He must  
have done it at least 8 times  
before he left."_

"Yeah, not a good sign," I said. "This is why I don't eat fast food." With that I climbed into the Fun Tube. God, that sounds weird and kinda wrong.

I'd only been crawling for a few seconds when I found a small room and the next note, and the overly cheerful funhouse music was already giving me a headache after spending... two hours and six minutes in relative silence.

_"5.  
There was a horrible 'accident'  
today. At least that's what the  
managers are calling it..._

_One of the other employees  
brought in some outside food  
and got into a fight with a  
manager about it. The employee  
said the burgers here smell  
like sulfur. I then watched the  
manager grab the kid's neck and  
shove his face onto the grill. The  
employee got up and ran out before  
anyone could do anything, and I'm  
told that he is fine, but that  
really shook me today."_

I stared at the words on the little piece of paper and blinked once. Twice. For once, I didn't know what to say. I mean, the employee who got "grilled" could easily sue that manager for assault and medical bills, because you don't just get your face grilled - even for a second - and walk away without some serious burns! Horrified and a bit surprised at just how cruel and stupid humans could be, I dropped the note and continued crawling, hoping I wouldn't get lost in this place and starve to death. I really wish I'd packed some of that roasted venison... "Mmmmmmm... roasted venison..." I said, drooling a bit as I remembered the gamy aroma and taste...

I was so busy fantasizing about my new favorite meat that I slammed my face into a wall. "D'OH!" I exclaimed, rubbing my head. I shook it off and kept going. The further in I went, the louder the music and a more mechanical sound got. After going through a small door, I soon found myself staring at a bloody iron chain that was coming up through the "playset." I watched it warily as I crawled away, finally stumbling upon the next note.

_"6.  
I'm leaving._

_I fell asleep in my car today, after  
eating one of those burgers. I  
remember brief flashes of a man or  
animal coming toward me and feeling  
like some huge, lumbering thing was  
wailing from deep underground as I  
continued eating. When I woke up  
I was fine, but had veered off the  
road. I don't know if it's some  
weird allergic reaction to a  
preservative they use or something  
much worse, but this is my last day."_

"Yeah, it's my last day here, too," I said, dropping the note and crawling through the Fun Tube a bit faster. "As soon as I get to an exit!" I managed to find a key just shortly before the Fun Tube's exit, and I hastily got out. "Now to find the way out." I looked to behind the counter where I saw the freezer... it was the one place I hadn't looked yet... Inside I found about a dozen cow carcasses ready for carving and a single key. The moment I picked it up I had a strong feeling I needed to run. I went with it. As soon as I got out of the chilly freezer, I saw the Food Demon floating towards me, and I bolted. I got back to the eating area and managed to find the exit. I ran through the halls, ignoring the garbled speech of the demon, until I reached a room with no visible door.

"What the Hell?!" I demanded, and started feeling the walls, trying to find the door. Every room has a door. I could feel a bolt of that childish panic as the demon started to come closer, and when he was within reach I lashed out at him, hitting one of his arms with the ax. He retreated a bit, and suddenly I could see the door again! I ran through and kept running, but the demon kept vanishing the doors! I soon realized the doors were still there, just invisible, but it was annoying! Finally I was starting to feel winded, so I turned to face the demon.

"You messed with the wrong kid!" I yelled, slashing at it as it drew near. Despite not having eyes, it started pulling back when the blade of my ax came near, wary of me now. "The way I see it, you have two options," I sneered, keeping the demon moving back. "You can either leave me alone... or die. The choice is yours, but I'd make it quickly, before I make it for you!"

_"Dlihc live. Nur ton lliw I. Dehsaelnu evah uoy sescrof eht ton wonk ouy."_

"What are you saying?" I asked mockingly. "Never mind, don't care!" He should've fled when I gave him the chance. I raised my ax again, striking brutally until the demon simply disappeared. I wasn't sure if it was dead or simply fled, but I didn't care. If it tried to attack me again... it wouldn't get away a second time.

I kept moving until I reached room 750, where I found Spooky waiting for me. _"O Hai, I didn't think you'd make it this far,"_ she greeted me._ "And you got an ax? Nice. Well congratulations. You're just about there... I think. Well, I didn't really have a gift ready so... uh.. SHAA!"_ I heard a crash of thunder, and suddenly I felt energized, like I'd consumed 1300 grams of caffeine. _"There you go, unlimited stamina. It'll never ever run out. So... See you later!"_ Without even letting me get a word in edgewise, she floated up into the ceiling. I touched the ever-present cross on the left side of the room and tried to test out my "unlimited stamina," but found that I couldn't run at all! How was this supposed to help?! I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"I guess it can't run out if I can't use it." I said unhappily. I'd just have to kill anything that got too close to me, like I'd been doing since I killed Specimen 3. So I pressed on, like I always did.

I quickly found that not being able to run through the rooms was both annoying and a bit terrifying, but thankfully I didn't encounter a single Specimen. When I reached Room 765, I felt the sudden energy return to normal, and I could run again.

That probably meant a Specimen was lurking about, so I started to run again. I skipped the Cat-dos machine simply to save time. I'd been down here for... two hours and sixteen minutes, after all. I just wished I could find a place to sit and rest for a bit. But if I did that, I was pretty sure I'd be ambushed by something. Like clockwork, as soon as I entered Room 780, I heard the awakening sound of Specimen 4. I grinned. It was time to take my rage out on another ghostie, and avenge the little kid from the haunted school level. _"Come here,"_ I heard her say.

"No, _you_ come here!" I replied. Sure enough, she did. I kept my ax hidden behind my leg and foot until she was close, and then I swung at her. A malicious idea came to me, and I gave my most adorable smile as I took another swing at her startled form. "Why what's wrong, friend?" I asked in my sweetest voice. "Not used to your prey fighting back?" I took another swing. Now she was getting mad. "Oh, well isn't that a shame? Did you really think I'd lay down and die just because you want me to? Well? **_DID YOU?!" _** I demanded, unleashing my fury. A ghost she may have been, but my ax was affecting her as it would a living creature. She shrieked in pain every time I struck her, and her form grew more flimsy. Finally only her head was visible, and she actually looked quite afraid. I decided to drive the final nail in the coffin as I finished her off.

_"Ding-dong, looks like I have won_

_Now you're it.  
_

_Ding-dong, pay the consequence!"_

I repeated the words in a whisper as I brought my ax down straight through her head. With an unholy shriek, she faded away into mist. And with that, I turned and made my way to the elevator that was Room 800.

800 rooms down.

200 to go.

* * *

**A/N: Hey! So the Food Demon speaks backwards, so if you haven't figured out what he was saying in this chapter, here's the translation:**

**"Evil child. I will not run. You know not what forces you have unleashed!"**

**Please look forward to the next chapter: "I Saw This Coming, You Saw This Coming."**


End file.
